3 Big Reasons Why the Cardinals Finally Gave Up on Trey Benson

ARIZONA — They finally did it.

It was a day many saw coming in the Arizona Cardinals' facility as running back Trey Benson was officially waived/injured by the team in a flurry of roster moves announced Monday that also included Josh Sweat's return.

Benson, entering his third season, has mostly been sidelined due to a meniscus injury suffered last season. He was thought to be recovered entering training camp, though that clearly wasn't the case.

Now, the Day 2 pick moves on elsewhere while the Cardinals officially wipe their hands clean of the Florida State product.

X brutally honest takeaways from the move:

Trey Benson Just Couldn't Stay Healthy

The Cardinals saw Benson exit with his knee injury in Week 4 of last season and he hasn't quite been the same since. Initially Arizona opened his practice window after he made a recovery from knee surgery to return late in 2025 before ultimately placing him on season-ending injured reserve.

After months of rehab, Benson was expected to return to training camp fresh and ready to fight for a roster spot. Benson initially participated in individual drills, though when he was finally upgraded to team activities, Benson's knee couldn't cooperate after suffering a "flare-up" with preseason play practically eliminated.

Benson, towards the end of his tenure, wasn't spotted practicing with the Cardinals — and it's a shame he hasn't been healthy for nearly a full year now.

Bam Knight's Emergence Was The Nail in Benson's Coffin

Benson needed to have a strong camp/preseason to make the roster, though Bam Knight's emergence might have just been the difference between Benson hitting PUP/IR and him flat-out being waived like he was today.

One question the Cardinals find themselves heavily debating is how many running backs they'll ultimately keep on the final roster — and if that number is indeed four, Knight clearly has that final spot taken.

That's partly due to simply his availability, though Knight also emerged as a special teams contributor and strong rotational running back when called upon.

Perhaps if the Cardinals didn't have an obvious alternative, more time/patience would have been bought for Benson. However, Knight's performance made the decision easy for Arizona.

Trey Benson's Trade Market Was Non-Existent

The Cardinals would have desperately loved to get something in return for Benson before ultimately cutting him, though the trade market around him was practically non-existent for a few reasons.

It's tough to get something of value when teams are anticipating getting Benson available on the waiver wire. Why give up draft capital if you could possibly get him for free?

His injury also muddied those waters. Potential inquiring teams probably wanted to see Benson healthy and on the field before making a move, though his flare-up ultimately may have cost the Cardinals.

It's not as if Benson's prior body of work was enough to warrant a return, either. Besides a handful of big runs, he was largely inconsistent as an NFL running back.

Perhaps that can change elsewhere, though Benson's time in the desert was clearly done.

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